Humorous film involving a spirited young woman by the name of Flora, who brings her stylish views of living, to the oppressed residents of a country farm. The humor at times is very dark and cutting, and oft times hilarious. They'll be plenty of good, quotable material from this well-crafted film, to go around. My favorite: "...Drain the well, there's a neighbor missing..." The script is very slick, and the performances are even better. If you enjoy offbeat humor mixed with a really sweet story, you'll like this movie.
80 Reviews
extremely funny
cherold30 May 2005
Absolutely terrific movie is an interesting take on the popular theme of people who come into a mess of unhappiness and create joy. Often these movies rely on a central character who is magical, or has great charm and a love for life, but Flora achieves her ends through pure English practicality, and it is very amusing to see someone approaching misery as a mess to be cleaned up. Flora, excellently portrayed by Beckinsale, is pretentious and rather smug but also well-meaning and likable. In a way she seems to be the personification of British imperialism, although that's probably a bit of a stretch.
Much of the fun of the movie is the ridiculous level of misery and squalor represented by Cold Comfort Farm, which is a parody of the sort of grim worlds one can find from writers like Dickens. Eileen Atkins does a great job, but then they all do. The only real weak point in the movie is Mybug, who seems completely unnecessary. Perhaps he was a significant character who served some purpose in the novel, but here he is just this annoying peripheral character, and had he been cut entirely out of the movie it would have been all the better for it (although I generally like Stephen Fry). In spite of that, an excellent film.
Much of the fun of the movie is the ridiculous level of misery and squalor represented by Cold Comfort Farm, which is a parody of the sort of grim worlds one can find from writers like Dickens. Eileen Atkins does a great job, but then they all do. The only real weak point in the movie is Mybug, who seems completely unnecessary. Perhaps he was a significant character who served some purpose in the novel, but here he is just this annoying peripheral character, and had he been cut entirely out of the movie it would have been all the better for it (although I generally like Stephen Fry). In spite of that, an excellent film.
A great little gem of a movie
Thomas-White24 May 2005
This is one of those little gems you'll be lucky to find in a video store if you're on the lookout for such an item, or, like me, are likely to find on movie channels such as IFC or Sundance, which is where I saw it. Kate Beckinsale plays a young lady among a decidedly strange group of relatives on an obscure English country farm and, while ostensibly there to write her first novel, brings change to the lives of everyone involved. All the players are delightfully involved in their characters and all seem genuinely committed to this quirky little piece which is both lighthearted and eminently watchable. A young Kate Beckinsale is captivating in her loveliness and expressiveness which is totally controlled and shows her to be a born actress. Definitely one to capture on DVD!
Amusing, or diverting...not "such fun"
SarahNM11 March 2000
I simply adore this movie! From beginning to end it shines with wit and hilarious depravity. Having read the book, I think it safe to say that this is one of the best transitions from page to screen. Everyone is perfectly cast in this - particularly Kate Beckinsale as Flora, Joanna Lumley as Mrs. Smiling, Eileen Atkins as Judith and Ian McKellen as Amos. Rufus Sewell makes for great eye-candy as Seth, and the virtually unknown Maria Miles is adorable as Elfine. Aunt Ada Doom, played by Sheila Burrell, constantly reminds us that "There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm," and although it's probably best to keep it that way, she's in for a few surprises. Flora's dealings with Mr. Mybug, hysterically portrayed by Stephen Fry, are alone worth the price of renting this movie.
Flora's decision to go to Cold Comfort Farm after her parents die sets the tone for the rest of the movie; it sounds "Interesting and appalling...the others just sound appalling!" If you want a good chuckle, or just love good British humor, by all means, see this movie!
Flora's decision to go to Cold Comfort Farm after her parents die sets the tone for the rest of the movie; it sounds "Interesting and appalling...the others just sound appalling!" If you want a good chuckle, or just love good British humor, by all means, see this movie!
A comfortable roll in the hay
lastliberal10 April 2007
First part of a twin bill I watched featuring Ian McKellen (X-Men, Lord of the Rings). He played a fire and brimstone country preacher that reminded me of the 17th Century Puritan Minister Cotton Mather.
The movie starred Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain) and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld). Beckansale played a girl in 1930s England who went to the rural farm property after the death of her father. In a period comedy she proceeds to change the lives of her extended family in a way that gives each of them what they want and free them from their bondage to the seemingly crazy matriarch (Sheila Burrell).
It was a very cute piece and to see Ian McKellen preach his sermon was an experience not to be forgotten.
The movie starred Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain) and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld). Beckansale played a girl in 1930s England who went to the rural farm property after the death of her father. In a period comedy she proceeds to change the lives of her extended family in a way that gives each of them what they want and free them from their bondage to the seemingly crazy matriarch (Sheila Burrell).
It was a very cute piece and to see Ian McKellen preach his sermon was an experience not to be forgotten.
Delightfully funny and gorgeously imaginative!
Cini342 September 2003
Cold Comfort Farm has been and remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Why? Simple: it is hilarious, has a star-studded and perfect ensemble cast, and is a beautiful adaptation of an equally, if not more hilarious, book. When one thinks about this movie, one always returns to the cast and how well-suited they were for their roles. Kate Beckinsale fits perfectly in the role of London débutante Flora Poste who, like Jane Austen, "could not endure a mess." Ian McKellen plays his role to fire and brimstone perfection. Rufus Sewell is remarkably well suited as the smoldering Seth with his brooding eyes and husky, outdoors-y sentiments. Eileen Atkins plays the extremely depressed, reverse-Oedipal mother of Seth in all her exceptional oddness. This is but naming a few of the fabulous cast members that fills this film. The film itself is beautifully filmed and beautifully acted. I would highly recommend it to anyone who 1)enjoys subtle British humor and 2)just enjoys an all-around excellent film.
Cold Comfort Farm
henry8-37 March 2024
Flora (Kate Beckinsale) from the higher ends of thirties society is suddenly orphaned and with relatively little money must seek shelter in the home of one of her distant family, settling eventually on cousins at the titular farm. There she finds a strange, wildly eccentric family, fearful of everything, incapable of change and in fact quite mad. Prim, proper and confident, Flora sets out to bring them into the 20th century and lay the various curses that they feel befalls them, to rest.
Very funny and desperately sweet look at English society and all its foibles from both ends of the scale. Subtle this ain't, but with a terrific stellar cast all playing funny overwrought characters one and all, there isn't much not to like here, particularly from Eileen Atkins as the cursed matriarch and Ian McKellan as the fire breathing lay preacher. Really fun and resolutely British.
Very funny and desperately sweet look at English society and all its foibles from both ends of the scale. Subtle this ain't, but with a terrific stellar cast all playing funny overwrought characters one and all, there isn't much not to like here, particularly from Eileen Atkins as the cursed matriarch and Ian McKellan as the fire breathing lay preacher. Really fun and resolutely British.
"There Is No Butter in Hell" but we find "Comfort" in Sussex
peacham22 June 2000
Praise is the only thing I can give this comedic gem of a film! Gibbon's characters come vividly to life in this perfect adaptation of her retro-Austin book. Kate Beckinsale give the best performance of her gifted career as "Robert Poste's Child",Flora who take up an invitation to Cold Comfort Farm with the motive of changing her extended family,the Starkadders, who reside there ("there have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm"),and find out what the "great wrong" was that they had done her father,a wrong that they are most repentant of. By film's end she has accomplished one of these goals.
The cast is sheer perfection.Beckinsale is vivacious,perky,gutsy and completly charming,Sheila Burrell is a riot as family matriarch Ada Doom who keeps a tight leash on her family and hardly leaves her room since she "saw somthing nasty in the woodshed". Sir Ian McKellen is dynamic and utterly hysterical as Cousin Amo Starkadder who preaches fire and brimstone sermons warning all that in hell there is no butter to sooth the burns. Eileen Atkins as Amos wife,cousin Judith and Freddy Jones as their hired hand are also standouts,but with such a perfect cast there are no weak links,so take sit back and take a journey to the far regions of Sussex with Flora Poste and investigate the quirky Starkadder family, with secrets aplenty at Cold Comfort Farm..once there you will want to make many more visits
The cast is sheer perfection.Beckinsale is vivacious,perky,gutsy and completly charming,Sheila Burrell is a riot as family matriarch Ada Doom who keeps a tight leash on her family and hardly leaves her room since she "saw somthing nasty in the woodshed". Sir Ian McKellen is dynamic and utterly hysterical as Cousin Amo Starkadder who preaches fire and brimstone sermons warning all that in hell there is no butter to sooth the burns. Eileen Atkins as Amos wife,cousin Judith and Freddy Jones as their hired hand are also standouts,but with such a perfect cast there are no weak links,so take sit back and take a journey to the far regions of Sussex with Flora Poste and investigate the quirky Starkadder family, with secrets aplenty at Cold Comfort Farm..once there you will want to make many more visits
Charming but no big laughs
SnoopyStyle21 October 2014
Flora Poste (Kate Beckinsale) is a superficial young woman recently orphaned with no work skills. She tells her friend Mrs. Mary Smiling (Joanna Lumley) that she wants to be a writer but only when she's 53 after some living. She is counting on living off of her relatives but only a few of her country relatives offer. Distant cousin Judith Starkadder (Eileen Atkins) offers the rundown Cold Comfort Farm. She is married to Amos (Ian McKellen) and has a womanizing son in Seth (Rufus Sewell). Flora insists on bettering the unhappy farm.
This is a comedy but just not really my kind of comedy. It's based on a British comic novel from the '30s. It skewers the romantization of the English country farm life from British literature. It's a dated comedy from another era and it's British. It has its charms but I can't find any big laughs.
This is a comedy but just not really my kind of comedy. It's based on a British comic novel from the '30s. It skewers the romantization of the English country farm life from British literature. It's a dated comedy from another era and it's British. It has its charms but I can't find any big laughs.
Laughter, Soaked in Nature's Fecund Blessing
MoviolaSteenbeck14 May 2007
"Child, child. If you come to this doomed 'ouse, what is there to save you?"- Judith Starkadder in COLD COMFORT FARM.
The "child" in question is the lone offspring of one Robert Poste (deceased) and, as we are soon to discover, Poste's progeny, Flora, is hardly one in need of saving. Orphaned in her budding womanhood, nettled by the golden orb of an unrealized literary career, Flora strikes out from the discerning (or snobbish) urban sophistication of London ( leaving behind her good friend Mary and Mary's invaluable manservant, Sneller) and heads for the bucolic splendor of the Sussex countryside to lodge with her relatives, the Starkadders, and find herself.
Robert Poste's child finds instead: a muck-begrimed tumbledown estate wherein resides a ready-for-Hollywood womanizer (Cousin Seth), an estate-coveting farmer (Cousin Reuben), a daffy romantic (Cousin Elfine), a too-loving mother (Cousin Judith), a 'vengeful god', proselytizing father (Cousin Amos), and an iron-willed matriarch (Greataunt Ada Doom). There's also a smattering of Lambsbreath (Adam) and a smidgen of Hawk-Monitor (Dick).
Inside the Starkadder fold Flora encounters a resistance to dish washing modernity (the twig versus the hand mop); the rumor of an unmentionable misdeed once perpetrated against her father; the oft-cited permanence of the Starkadders on their environs; and the matriarch's frequently mentioned trauma after having witnessed a particularly odious occurrence inside the outdoor log pile storage facility ("...something nasty in the woodshed"). Undaunted, Flora presents a cool brow and an almost impervious demeanor plus an extremely persuasive power to influence. Within COLD COMFORT FARM, where high fashion and applied scientific reasoning smash headlong into arrested sociological development and stunted personal/ familial growth, tear-inducing laughter is the order of the day.
As mentioned in the comments of others, Ms. Beckinsale, clad in her natty period togs and radiating a winsome, unflappable aura (while also projecting a strangely prepubescent vibe), hasn't had as good a role since Flora. Meanwhile, those master thespians, Freddie Jones, Ian McKellan, and the inimitable Eileen Atkins nearly go mad with delight as they burrow gleefully into their characters. Rufus Sewell's Seth smolders hilariously while Stephen Fry's Mybug, "soaked in nature's fecund blessing", blusters uproariously. This sort of comedy of manners and cultural collision required an intelligent, perceptive and witty director. John Schlesinger (DARLING, 1965) fit the bill gloriously.
The "child" in question is the lone offspring of one Robert Poste (deceased) and, as we are soon to discover, Poste's progeny, Flora, is hardly one in need of saving. Orphaned in her budding womanhood, nettled by the golden orb of an unrealized literary career, Flora strikes out from the discerning (or snobbish) urban sophistication of London ( leaving behind her good friend Mary and Mary's invaluable manservant, Sneller) and heads for the bucolic splendor of the Sussex countryside to lodge with her relatives, the Starkadders, and find herself.
Robert Poste's child finds instead: a muck-begrimed tumbledown estate wherein resides a ready-for-Hollywood womanizer (Cousin Seth), an estate-coveting farmer (Cousin Reuben), a daffy romantic (Cousin Elfine), a too-loving mother (Cousin Judith), a 'vengeful god', proselytizing father (Cousin Amos), and an iron-willed matriarch (Greataunt Ada Doom). There's also a smattering of Lambsbreath (Adam) and a smidgen of Hawk-Monitor (Dick).
Inside the Starkadder fold Flora encounters a resistance to dish washing modernity (the twig versus the hand mop); the rumor of an unmentionable misdeed once perpetrated against her father; the oft-cited permanence of the Starkadders on their environs; and the matriarch's frequently mentioned trauma after having witnessed a particularly odious occurrence inside the outdoor log pile storage facility ("...something nasty in the woodshed"). Undaunted, Flora presents a cool brow and an almost impervious demeanor plus an extremely persuasive power to influence. Within COLD COMFORT FARM, where high fashion and applied scientific reasoning smash headlong into arrested sociological development and stunted personal/ familial growth, tear-inducing laughter is the order of the day.
As mentioned in the comments of others, Ms. Beckinsale, clad in her natty period togs and radiating a winsome, unflappable aura (while also projecting a strangely prepubescent vibe), hasn't had as good a role since Flora. Meanwhile, those master thespians, Freddie Jones, Ian McKellan, and the inimitable Eileen Atkins nearly go mad with delight as they burrow gleefully into their characters. Rufus Sewell's Seth smolders hilariously while Stephen Fry's Mybug, "soaked in nature's fecund blessing", blusters uproariously. This sort of comedy of manners and cultural collision required an intelligent, perceptive and witty director. John Schlesinger (DARLING, 1965) fit the bill gloriously.
A Pleasant Enough Fantasy
gelman@attglobal.net4 April 2007
If ever a movie with a generally realistic setting called for suspension of disbelief, Cold Comfort Farm is it. The viewer is asked to believe that a well brought up but penniless orphan (Kate Beckinsale) comes to live with relatives who mostly despise her and hate one another and who want desperately to leave this wretched, filthy, gloomy farm but cannot do so because of a tyrannical recluse of a family matriarch who is holed up in her room, consuming enormous quantities of food -- and in the course of an hour and a half, the plucky young orphan has transformed the lives of everyone on the farm, including the matriarch and the gloomy, mad cousin who invited her to come live with them because of a unexplained but terrible wrong done to the young woman's father by this family. Kate Beckinsale is outstanding in the role of the orphaned young woman and Ian McKellen effortlessly steals the picture from everyone but Beckinsale in his role as a fire-and-brimstone preacher whom Kate's character persuades to leave the farm to his eldest son and pursue his mission of preaching his terrifying gospel to the world. The picture has its moments, mostly because of Beckinsale and McKellen, though there is also a wonderful bit involving a Hollywood producer friend of the young orphan's who is persuaded to visit the farm and make a movie star of the lecherous younger brother. Mostly, however,Cold Comfort Farm is thin gruel and not nearly as amusing as the people who made it seem to think it is.
This is the perfect movie.
The_Moose_From_Kansas15 February 2003
Period, end of statement.
There are a few films that are so incredibly well done, so seamless, that they could be watched daily. Well, that *I* could watch daily.
This is one!
It never lags, it never sags.
It is funny, it is real.
It is touching, it is hopeful.
Kate Beckinsale started her career on such a high note with this early work!
The rest of the actors are simply perfect in their roles. Sim-ply perfect!
There are a few films that are so incredibly well done, so seamless, that they could be watched daily. Well, that *I* could watch daily.
This is one!
It never lags, it never sags.
It is funny, it is real.
It is touching, it is hopeful.
Kate Beckinsale started her career on such a high note with this early work!
The rest of the actors are simply perfect in their roles. Sim-ply perfect!
Strange People.
rmax3048234 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Kate Bekinsale plays a chic young woman who inherits a pittance and, to save money and perhaps gather material for a novel, moves to remote Cold Comfort Farm. She gets more than she bargained for. First of all, the farm is really a farm, with cows, pigs, horses and barns. Second, it's a sprawling, dilapidated affair, which one character refers to as "the house of Usher." Third, the place is cluttered and filthy and no one cares. Fourth, the half dozen or so residents are just as filthy as the floor and seem to have been inbred for generations. Finally, they are apparently ruled by an old madwoman who sequesters herself in an upstairs room and mutters about having once seen something nasty in the woodshed.
Now, these are all very queer characters and each in his own way is a fit case study of psychopathology. Perhaps the most interesting is the preacher, who carries on in the local church, the walls of which are spritzed with lurid graffiti, about how much hell hurts. Did you ever burn your finger? It hurt, didn't it. And what did you do about the burned finger? You put butter on it. Well, friends, THERE IS NO BUTTER IN HELL. Man, there is material enough for a dozen novels.
There is a problem with a movie so filled with nuts though. It reminded me of a movie I'd worked in, "Crimes of the Heart," written by Beth Hemsley, about three quirky sisters, any one of whom would have provided a viable narrative. But "Crimes of the Heart," like "Cold Comfort Farm," really has nowhere to much go.
In this movie, Kate Bekinsale -- a fantasy of pale and vulnerable beauty -- straightens everything out. People wind up married to those whom they should marry. A half-hour, off-screen chat brings the old crone to her senses and she takes off for Paris. The farm ends up in the hands of the most capable of its workers. Bekinsale literally sails off with the handsome young aviator.
Afterwards I felt as if I'd visited a mother who trotted out a handful of lovely children, had them rattle off an idiosyncratic and brilliant version of the Trout Quintet, and then shuffled them outside to play. Gone in a twinkling.
It's interesting without being particularly well constructed. Loved the characters, some of them anyway, and almost fell asleep waiting for the happy ending.
Now, these are all very queer characters and each in his own way is a fit case study of psychopathology. Perhaps the most interesting is the preacher, who carries on in the local church, the walls of which are spritzed with lurid graffiti, about how much hell hurts. Did you ever burn your finger? It hurt, didn't it. And what did you do about the burned finger? You put butter on it. Well, friends, THERE IS NO BUTTER IN HELL. Man, there is material enough for a dozen novels.
There is a problem with a movie so filled with nuts though. It reminded me of a movie I'd worked in, "Crimes of the Heart," written by Beth Hemsley, about three quirky sisters, any one of whom would have provided a viable narrative. But "Crimes of the Heart," like "Cold Comfort Farm," really has nowhere to much go.
In this movie, Kate Bekinsale -- a fantasy of pale and vulnerable beauty -- straightens everything out. People wind up married to those whom they should marry. A half-hour, off-screen chat brings the old crone to her senses and she takes off for Paris. The farm ends up in the hands of the most capable of its workers. Bekinsale literally sails off with the handsome young aviator.
Afterwards I felt as if I'd visited a mother who trotted out a handful of lovely children, had them rattle off an idiosyncratic and brilliant version of the Trout Quintet, and then shuffled them outside to play. Gone in a twinkling.
It's interesting without being particularly well constructed. Loved the characters, some of them anyway, and almost fell asleep waiting for the happy ending.
Very Disappointing
Tahhh20 August 2007
It's a real pity; it's a hilarious book, the cast is excellent, the sets are terrific, and yet, the film just misses the mark.
It was as if none of the screen writers understood the book's humor, really, and there were only a few things about the film that I did enjoy: (1) Mrs. Smiling and the way the film showed how she keeps her collection; (2) Seth and Reuben looked like brothers; (3) I adore Sir Ian in anything he does, and he did a lovely job on Amos, different from Alistair Sim, but just as delightful.
I think what was really needed for this film to work was a better screenplay based on the book. I honestly don't think that this movie captured the fun of the book in the way that the earlier BBC version did.
I actually found it a bit tedious, rather than fun, and they left out some of the best lines, really, for no good reason. I found that it got rather boring toward the end, and didn't really manage to give a sense of Flora Poste's STRUGGLE to change Cold Comfort Farm--it all changed too easily, and so one didn't really have the nice tension "will she succeed?"--she wins over everybody far too easily, and I think a good deal of the story is probably incomprehensible without knowing the book first.
So--my verdict is: find that wonderful old BBC version with Alistair Sim and Rosalie Crutchley and Faye Compton--and treat yourself to the book, which is the sort you pull out again to enjoy afresh, years later, and catch this one if it comes on TV, but don't go out of your way for it.
It was as if none of the screen writers understood the book's humor, really, and there were only a few things about the film that I did enjoy: (1) Mrs. Smiling and the way the film showed how she keeps her collection; (2) Seth and Reuben looked like brothers; (3) I adore Sir Ian in anything he does, and he did a lovely job on Amos, different from Alistair Sim, but just as delightful.
I think what was really needed for this film to work was a better screenplay based on the book. I honestly don't think that this movie captured the fun of the book in the way that the earlier BBC version did.
I actually found it a bit tedious, rather than fun, and they left out some of the best lines, really, for no good reason. I found that it got rather boring toward the end, and didn't really manage to give a sense of Flora Poste's STRUGGLE to change Cold Comfort Farm--it all changed too easily, and so one didn't really have the nice tension "will she succeed?"--she wins over everybody far too easily, and I think a good deal of the story is probably incomprehensible without knowing the book first.
So--my verdict is: find that wonderful old BBC version with Alistair Sim and Rosalie Crutchley and Faye Compton--and treat yourself to the book, which is the sort you pull out again to enjoy afresh, years later, and catch this one if it comes on TV, but don't go out of your way for it.
"I'd take the old woman as well -- but she's so gloomy!"
dennisayers6 September 2004
This film was produced for BBC television but had a theatrical release the next year -- probably to take advantage of the popularity of all those Jane Austen movies (Emma, Persuasion, et. al.) It is not a Jane Austen story, but it is a sort of genial romance/comedy of manners (set in the early 1930's?) with a plucky, bright, but penniless heroine. The book it was based on was actually a parody of Gothic romance fiction. Even though this movie is played for laughs (and has many), it still manages to make you care for the characters. Everything works here and (editing, cinematography, performances) and you really appreciate what the director, John Schlesinger, managed to do on a probably skimpy budget.
This movie was the first I ever saw of Kate Beckinsale and I thought she was fantastic in it. I remained a fan for a long while, even though her subsequent movie performances (and choices) have been awful. She finally lost me with her recent laughable turn in Van Helsing. Nevertheless, she WAS good in Cold Comfort Farm, so if you're no fan of Beckinsale don't let that dissuade you from seeing this movie.
Other standouts in the cast are Eileen Atkins, Rufus Sewell, and Ian McKellen who is screamingly funny as a fire and brimstone preacher.
This film is definitely worth having on video or DVD in that it bears up very well to repeated viewings. I've seen it at least 5 times since its release, and my estimation of it rises with each viewing.
This movie was the first I ever saw of Kate Beckinsale and I thought she was fantastic in it. I remained a fan for a long while, even though her subsequent movie performances (and choices) have been awful. She finally lost me with her recent laughable turn in Van Helsing. Nevertheless, she WAS good in Cold Comfort Farm, so if you're no fan of Beckinsale don't let that dissuade you from seeing this movie.
Other standouts in the cast are Eileen Atkins, Rufus Sewell, and Ian McKellen who is screamingly funny as a fire and brimstone preacher.
This film is definitely worth having on video or DVD in that it bears up very well to repeated viewings. I've seen it at least 5 times since its release, and my estimation of it rises with each viewing.
A Freudian Comedy with Dark Secrets, Horrible Memories, Fear and Loathing. Funny and slick.
christophercampbell15 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The movie opens with "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." It is a Freudian reference. Freud originally thought such visions were manifestations of actual events that were so horrible that the memory was repressed. He later renounced that theory and decided that such dreams were manifestations of suppressed desires and emotions. The subject never actually sees what was nasty and the woodshed is not real, either.
Modern psychotherapists, for the most part with minimal training, have gone back to Freud's original theory, but the supposedly 'repressed memories" invariably are so far-fetched as to violate fundamental laws of physics. Ada Doom's memory, for example, would probably have a woodshed with many rooms, stairs both up and down, windows, etc., all fitting within the small exterior of the building. The "something" nasty would include people who may well have been dead at the time, or who were far away, or who never existed at all. The ax implies murder and human sacrifice, a manifestation of feelings that she was mistreated by her own parents (or maybe Robert Poste). The dark wood-stains and shadows imply blood. The interior of the woodshed is dark, mysterious and quiet, as of a horror lurking there -- a hidden truth that no one can face.
The movie, made during the height of 1990s witch hunt, parodies people who use memories of imaginary (or even real) events to control everybody around them. Interestingly, earlier productions were made during similar cultural periods. The 'something nasty' can represent anything from incest to fear of financial ruin to communism.
The nasty memories, probably of fictitious events, manifest themselves in the untidiness of the Starkadders. The farm is practically in ruins, despite the fact the Starkadders are wealthy. Everything is all loose ends, hidden secrets, unfinished business. Flora Poste represents the traditional Freudian therapist, one who sees through all the junk of the mind and starts putting things in order by forcing people to see the truth about themselves and their situation, to stop dwelling on events (which are imaginary anyway) of the past and which have absolutely no bearing on the present. The Starkadders, one by one, have a paradigm shift away from suspicion, secrecy, and guilt to productivity, optimism, and adventurousness. They no longer live in fear.
The movie ridicules fear and guilt. They are not just 'untidy,' they enslave us, tie us down, and keep us from reaching our full potential. Flora Poste represents the whole woman, idealized. She fears nothing for herself, despite the fact that she is the one character that actually has serious problems to deal with. Orphaned, virtually penniless, with an uncertain future, yet she could not care less. Unlike the miserable Starkadders who are helpless despite wealth, position and power, Flora Poste is the master of her own fate despite her lack of all the advantages the the Starkadders have.
The movie allows us to laugh at our fears and shortcomings, and encourages us to take control of our own destinies. What is not to like about it?
Modern psychotherapists, for the most part with minimal training, have gone back to Freud's original theory, but the supposedly 'repressed memories" invariably are so far-fetched as to violate fundamental laws of physics. Ada Doom's memory, for example, would probably have a woodshed with many rooms, stairs both up and down, windows, etc., all fitting within the small exterior of the building. The "something" nasty would include people who may well have been dead at the time, or who were far away, or who never existed at all. The ax implies murder and human sacrifice, a manifestation of feelings that she was mistreated by her own parents (or maybe Robert Poste). The dark wood-stains and shadows imply blood. The interior of the woodshed is dark, mysterious and quiet, as of a horror lurking there -- a hidden truth that no one can face.
The movie, made during the height of 1990s witch hunt, parodies people who use memories of imaginary (or even real) events to control everybody around them. Interestingly, earlier productions were made during similar cultural periods. The 'something nasty' can represent anything from incest to fear of financial ruin to communism.
The nasty memories, probably of fictitious events, manifest themselves in the untidiness of the Starkadders. The farm is practically in ruins, despite the fact the Starkadders are wealthy. Everything is all loose ends, hidden secrets, unfinished business. Flora Poste represents the traditional Freudian therapist, one who sees through all the junk of the mind and starts putting things in order by forcing people to see the truth about themselves and their situation, to stop dwelling on events (which are imaginary anyway) of the past and which have absolutely no bearing on the present. The Starkadders, one by one, have a paradigm shift away from suspicion, secrecy, and guilt to productivity, optimism, and adventurousness. They no longer live in fear.
The movie ridicules fear and guilt. They are not just 'untidy,' they enslave us, tie us down, and keep us from reaching our full potential. Flora Poste represents the whole woman, idealized. She fears nothing for herself, despite the fact that she is the one character that actually has serious problems to deal with. Orphaned, virtually penniless, with an uncertain future, yet she could not care less. Unlike the miserable Starkadders who are helpless despite wealth, position and power, Flora Poste is the master of her own fate despite her lack of all the advantages the the Starkadders have.
The movie allows us to laugh at our fears and shortcomings, and encourages us to take control of our own destinies. What is not to like about it?
Austen meets Shakespeare
Antyrael9 November 1998
This film has to be one of the most enjoyable films I have ever seen. The sincerity and wittiness of Jane Austen combined with the ridicule of a Shakespearean play, Cold Comfort Farm tells a clever, little story about a young, determined London-girl who is set on lifting the curse of the Starkadder family. Kate Beckinsale's Flora Poste is as unshaken and well-spoken as Austen's Emma (who Beckinsale has also starred as) but in a more cheerful and less hypocritical manner.
The names in the film do their best to describe the utter depravity of the Starkadder's: The horse Viper, the cows Aimless, Senseless, Heedless and Desireless and aunt Ada Doom. The acting in the film is flawless and Stephen Fry is just the icing on the cake.
The names in the film do their best to describe the utter depravity of the Starkadder's: The horse Viper, the cows Aimless, Senseless, Heedless and Desireless and aunt Ada Doom. The acting in the film is flawless and Stephen Fry is just the icing on the cake.
Tries a little too hard
melissa.ricks28 June 2001
Cold Comfort Farm is indeed a Jane Austen/Bronte Sisters look alike film, intentionally mimicking Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Wuthering Heights. Nice cast of characters, but they all seemed so pleased with themselves that I couldn't rate this movie higher than a '6'. It was almost too charming and oh so tidy.
Absolutely hilarious but give it time to grow on you
stevehiner23 December 2003
The first time I saw CCF I walked out of the theater wondering whether or not I liked it. The more I thought about it and a couple rentals later and I love this movie. It's funny on so many different levels you've really got to dedicate a few viewings before passing final judgment.
This is one of the few movies I'd put in the same category as "Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" - movies that get funnier the more times you watch them.
This is one of the few movies I'd put in the same category as "Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" - movies that get funnier the more times you watch them.
Austen powered...
ThurstonHunger23 July 2004
I hesitated on renting this as I feared I would be a bit too "Clueless" (and for the same reason, I've not seen that film either). However, a favored friend of mine wuthered on about this, so I decided to watch it.
The bottom line, I probably should have read the Austen first. But I really have no desire to do that still... Then again, my wife, who loved "Pride and Prejudice" (firstly on page then secondly on Firth) couldn't quite muster enough interest to stick with this film. A possible litmus test may be how funny you find the family name "Starkadder."
If your reaction is "Oh heavens, what a laugh..." or really any thing that starts with "Oh heavens..." then you are likely going to love this film. I'm not trying to fan this film with such dainty praise...it's meant to be a whimsical film. The characters are realized in a way that's more suited to the stage than to the silver or plasma screen in my opinion. To be fair, it was apparently a made-for-TV movie...in my estimation it might have been a better made-for-radio-play.
I suspect this film will grow on me over time, and while I won't bust a gut now on it...when I am ready to titter...I'll reach for this. And I do expect tittering is probably a good 10 to 20 years off... Even at this point, I did enjoy a blubbery, blustery Ian McKellen, and Harry Ditson as the star-maker rain-maker from Hollywood. Others have mentioned those, but above all I could have used more of Trevor Baxter...that's who did it for me, the butler!
Of course, in this sort of drama, the butler as part of the underprivileged class is allowed to be smart...even smarter than the upper class women. Meanwhile the men are buffoons or hunks and preferrably both. I would have killed for at least a cad, a rapscallion or a ne'er-do-well!
I'm kidding..that honestly is not what prevented me from enjoying this film more. Actually the "golden orb" mocking of a very fresh-faced Kate Beckinsale was a nice laugh at the expense of her wrought dreams of writing. The film does use that tried and true repetition for comedic effect at times...with awareness to have all of the Starkadders roll deaf eyes when arch-matriarch Ada Doom started on one of her spells...
I guess I'm more of a fan of odd juxtapositions for comedy, along with family dysfunction (or other societal expectations) twisted through neurosis and out the other side. This kind of plays upon that, but from another era...and exaggerated out of any sense of proportion.
In retrospect, I can envision a pretty funny film, but watching it the first time, I never really fell under its powers. My destiny was the only one Robert Poste's child could not quite chart. Not to say I didn't appreciate the approach (in America I fear we would have cast Goldie Hawn or Fran Dresser in the lead role, sacrificing blithe beneficience for ditzy blundering...)
That would have got a negative 3 from me, this I gave a
6/10
The bottom line, I probably should have read the Austen first. But I really have no desire to do that still... Then again, my wife, who loved "Pride and Prejudice" (firstly on page then secondly on Firth) couldn't quite muster enough interest to stick with this film. A possible litmus test may be how funny you find the family name "Starkadder."
If your reaction is "Oh heavens, what a laugh..." or really any thing that starts with "Oh heavens..." then you are likely going to love this film. I'm not trying to fan this film with such dainty praise...it's meant to be a whimsical film. The characters are realized in a way that's more suited to the stage than to the silver or plasma screen in my opinion. To be fair, it was apparently a made-for-TV movie...in my estimation it might have been a better made-for-radio-play.
I suspect this film will grow on me over time, and while I won't bust a gut now on it...when I am ready to titter...I'll reach for this. And I do expect tittering is probably a good 10 to 20 years off... Even at this point, I did enjoy a blubbery, blustery Ian McKellen, and Harry Ditson as the star-maker rain-maker from Hollywood. Others have mentioned those, but above all I could have used more of Trevor Baxter...that's who did it for me, the butler!
Of course, in this sort of drama, the butler as part of the underprivileged class is allowed to be smart...even smarter than the upper class women. Meanwhile the men are buffoons or hunks and preferrably both. I would have killed for at least a cad, a rapscallion or a ne'er-do-well!
I'm kidding..that honestly is not what prevented me from enjoying this film more. Actually the "golden orb" mocking of a very fresh-faced Kate Beckinsale was a nice laugh at the expense of her wrought dreams of writing. The film does use that tried and true repetition for comedic effect at times...with awareness to have all of the Starkadders roll deaf eyes when arch-matriarch Ada Doom started on one of her spells...
I guess I'm more of a fan of odd juxtapositions for comedy, along with family dysfunction (or other societal expectations) twisted through neurosis and out the other side. This kind of plays upon that, but from another era...and exaggerated out of any sense of proportion.
In retrospect, I can envision a pretty funny film, but watching it the first time, I never really fell under its powers. My destiny was the only one Robert Poste's child could not quite chart. Not to say I didn't appreciate the approach (in America I fear we would have cast Goldie Hawn or Fran Dresser in the lead role, sacrificing blithe beneficience for ditzy blundering...)
That would have got a negative 3 from me, this I gave a
6/10
Something Nasty in the Woodshed
aimless-4621 July 2006
If you are searching for comparisons to help you decide whether to watch "Cold Comfort Farm" imagine a slightly older "Pollyanna" going to live on a rundown version of "Babe's" English farm with a strange and bleak collection of her country cousins.
This is an excellent and very earthy adaptation of Stella Gibbon's 1932 satirical novel (which itself is an odd marriage of Hardy and Wodehouse). Where the village pub is named "The Condemned Man" and the cows are named Aimless, Feckless, Graceless, and Pointless. Both the novel and its adaptation are joyfully depressing and packed with literary eccentricity and subtle humor. If you like "Faulty Towers" then you can expect to get off on the humor. But if you prefer "Hot Shots! Part Deux", you should probably pass on "Cold Comfort Farm".
There are three possible viewer reactions: It's not funny. I didn't figure out it was a comedy until halfway through but then I found it hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing.
Kate Beckinsale plays Flora Poste (always referred to by her relatives as Robert Poste's daughter), a recently orphaned 19 year old who chooses to live with relatives (the Starkadders) she has never met, at gloomy Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex. Beckinsale, even more radiant than usual, pulls off a nice characterization of the resourceful yet snobbish heroine. Like Pollyanna, she is a catalyst for positive change, but they are calculated changes. Her instinctive snobbishness (Beckinsale has a real talent for this) is played for laughs since everyone would feel a bit superior and distanced from this eccentric collection of misfits.
The adaptation nicely incorporates Gibbons's subtle parody of Jane Austen romantic clichés, from the controlling madwoman in the attic to wood nymph poetess, to the quivering parishioners. Even the production design is a funny send-up of the standard BBC mini-series look.
This is really a terrific production, doubly so for Beckinsale fans.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
This is an excellent and very earthy adaptation of Stella Gibbon's 1932 satirical novel (which itself is an odd marriage of Hardy and Wodehouse). Where the village pub is named "The Condemned Man" and the cows are named Aimless, Feckless, Graceless, and Pointless. Both the novel and its adaptation are joyfully depressing and packed with literary eccentricity and subtle humor. If you like "Faulty Towers" then you can expect to get off on the humor. But if you prefer "Hot Shots! Part Deux", you should probably pass on "Cold Comfort Farm".
There are three possible viewer reactions: It's not funny. I didn't figure out it was a comedy until halfway through but then I found it hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing.
Kate Beckinsale plays Flora Poste (always referred to by her relatives as Robert Poste's daughter), a recently orphaned 19 year old who chooses to live with relatives (the Starkadders) she has never met, at gloomy Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex. Beckinsale, even more radiant than usual, pulls off a nice characterization of the resourceful yet snobbish heroine. Like Pollyanna, she is a catalyst for positive change, but they are calculated changes. Her instinctive snobbishness (Beckinsale has a real talent for this) is played for laughs since everyone would feel a bit superior and distanced from this eccentric collection of misfits.
The adaptation nicely incorporates Gibbons's subtle parody of Jane Austen romantic clichés, from the controlling madwoman in the attic to wood nymph poetess, to the quivering parishioners. Even the production design is a funny send-up of the standard BBC mini-series look.
This is really a terrific production, doubly so for Beckinsale fans.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
"I saw something nasty in the woodshed" – so what?
SimonJack29 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Watching this goofy and silly BBC movie for television, I didn't quite hang on the obvious question the film poses at the start. What in the world did Ada (Aunt Ada) Doom see in the woodshed that was so nasty? I think the writers and filmmakers wanted that of the viewers, but the hook doesn't quite grab. That's mostly due to the obvious shift then to lighthearted screenplay immediately after. They no doubt needed that quick switch to convince viewers that this was indeed a comedy.
Well, all the psychological or market jockeying aside, this is an entertaining movie that isn't nearly as funny as it could have been. For instance, the members of Flora Poste's (Kate Beckinsale) family on the farm aren't as goofy as her London friends. Especially Mrs. Mary Smiling, played by Joanna Lumley. Her eccentric hobby of collecting women's bras and displaying them on torso mannequins is more far out than anyone on the farm.
The thing about Flora's relatives on the farm is that they're all quite dirty. The place is run down and no one seems to care about cleaning it up or cleaning themselves. So, it's not that much a task for Flora to gradually get them to clean up their act. She does this in some clever ways with each one – and this is the part of the screenplay is very good. Of course, the viewers get onto what she is doing quickly, but the fun is in watching what she will do next.
There are some holes in the plot where things are left out between scenes that would have been good to see. And, had the writers made the farm people actually a little more eccentric, there would have been much more comedy. Instead, the plot revolves closely around Flora, who provides very little of the comedy.
Aside from that, I think one of the funniest things about this movie is the names of some of the people, and places. Besides Aunt Ada Doom, Mrs. Mary Smiling is always you might guess – smiling. Freddie Jones plays Adam Lambsbreath. Anyone who's ever been around sheep can get an idea of that one. Stephen Fry is Meyerbug, which lists in the credits as Flora calls him, Mybug. And, he does bug her. Of course, there's the family name that has always had someone on Cold Comfort Farm, Starkadder. There are some others – Mrs. Beetle, Mr. Neck, etc.
Then, there's Beershorn Halt, Ticklepenny Corner, Nettle Flitch, the Church of the Quiverin' Brethren, and Cold Comfort Farm. It's a lightly funny film with some fair performances from Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder, Rufus Sewell as Seth, Fry as Mybug, Sheila Burrell as Aunt Ada, Eileen Atkins as Judith Starkadder, and Joanna Lumley as Mary Smiling.
In a late scene Aunt Ada repeats aloud to everyone for the umpteenth time, "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." Mr. Neck, who is visiting, says, "Sure you did. But did it see you, Baby."
Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film.
Flora Poste: I'm willing to bet there are also cousins called "Seth" and "Reuben." Mary Smiling: Why" Flora: Highly sexed young men living on a farm are always called Seth or Reuben.
Amos Starkadder, "Seth, you drain the well. There's a neighbor missing."
Amos Starkadder, "They'll all burn in hell, and someone's gotta tell 'em so.
Flora Poste, "Then, you have no idea what you're going to say before you get there?" Amos Starkadder, "Aye. I always know it'll be something about burnin'."
Earl P. Neck, taking Seth Starkadder to Hollywood, sees Judith and says to Flora, "I'd take here too, but she's too gloomy."
Well, all the psychological or market jockeying aside, this is an entertaining movie that isn't nearly as funny as it could have been. For instance, the members of Flora Poste's (Kate Beckinsale) family on the farm aren't as goofy as her London friends. Especially Mrs. Mary Smiling, played by Joanna Lumley. Her eccentric hobby of collecting women's bras and displaying them on torso mannequins is more far out than anyone on the farm.
The thing about Flora's relatives on the farm is that they're all quite dirty. The place is run down and no one seems to care about cleaning it up or cleaning themselves. So, it's not that much a task for Flora to gradually get them to clean up their act. She does this in some clever ways with each one – and this is the part of the screenplay is very good. Of course, the viewers get onto what she is doing quickly, but the fun is in watching what she will do next.
There are some holes in the plot where things are left out between scenes that would have been good to see. And, had the writers made the farm people actually a little more eccentric, there would have been much more comedy. Instead, the plot revolves closely around Flora, who provides very little of the comedy.
Aside from that, I think one of the funniest things about this movie is the names of some of the people, and places. Besides Aunt Ada Doom, Mrs. Mary Smiling is always you might guess – smiling. Freddie Jones plays Adam Lambsbreath. Anyone who's ever been around sheep can get an idea of that one. Stephen Fry is Meyerbug, which lists in the credits as Flora calls him, Mybug. And, he does bug her. Of course, there's the family name that has always had someone on Cold Comfort Farm, Starkadder. There are some others – Mrs. Beetle, Mr. Neck, etc.
Then, there's Beershorn Halt, Ticklepenny Corner, Nettle Flitch, the Church of the Quiverin' Brethren, and Cold Comfort Farm. It's a lightly funny film with some fair performances from Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder, Rufus Sewell as Seth, Fry as Mybug, Sheila Burrell as Aunt Ada, Eileen Atkins as Judith Starkadder, and Joanna Lumley as Mary Smiling.
In a late scene Aunt Ada repeats aloud to everyone for the umpteenth time, "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." Mr. Neck, who is visiting, says, "Sure you did. But did it see you, Baby."
Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film.
Flora Poste: I'm willing to bet there are also cousins called "Seth" and "Reuben." Mary Smiling: Why" Flora: Highly sexed young men living on a farm are always called Seth or Reuben.
Amos Starkadder, "Seth, you drain the well. There's a neighbor missing."
Amos Starkadder, "They'll all burn in hell, and someone's gotta tell 'em so.
Flora Poste, "Then, you have no idea what you're going to say before you get there?" Amos Starkadder, "Aye. I always know it'll be something about burnin'."
Earl P. Neck, taking Seth Starkadder to Hollywood, sees Judith and says to Flora, "I'd take here too, but she's too gloomy."
A wonderfully different comedy
eunice-425 July 1999
I first saw Cold Comfort Farm way back in the early 70's on TV, but this latest version is so much funnier. Kate Beckinsale makes a wonderful bossy "take charge" Flora, and everyone else in the cast is just hilarious. Eileen Atkins' scenery chewing when her son, played by Rufus Sewell, was leaving home to become a Hollywood film star, just about had me in hysterics. The dread menacing atmosphere, the dark hints about something seen in the woodshed, and the general squalor of a once prosperous family gone to ruin are all conveyed in a humourous but not slapstick or farcical way. The Starkadders mooch about muttering threateningly until Flora eventually sets them all on the right path to recovering prosperity. Flora is the kind of upbeat heroine who would take a hot cup of cocoa to Dracula "because he is probably cold after all that time in the tomb." A very enjoyable film for those who like something different.
Not as great as many people say, but it is still good
philip_vanderveken26 January 2005
Before seeing it a few days ago I had never heard of this movie and I guess there are many other people like me who don't know it yet. I don't think it has ever had much of publicity, which would explain why it is so unknown to the public. But of course you can find it on this website and all I read about it is that it is perfect, an absolute gem, the best comedy ever... Well, I'm afraid I can't completely agree with that. Yes it is good, but it wasn't brilliant and somehow it was never able to really keep my full attention.
Even though the movie has been made in 1995, so only 10 years ago, it feels a lot older. That's not only because of the subject (the story is set in the 1930's), but also because of the humor and the way everything is told. It seemed to me like if this movie was made in the 1950's: nice to watch, but a bit too honest. The humor can be quite dark from time to time (which I really like), but somehow the entire movie isn't as sharp as I hoped it would be.
The movie tells the story of the 20 year old Flora Poste, recently orphaned and left with only 100 pounds a year, who wants to become a writer and who is in desperate need of money and inspiration. She sends letters to many relatives and ultimately decides to go and live with the Starkadder, some distant relatives who live on Cold Comfort Farm. It is said that the farm and everybody living there is doomed, in reality it is the old grandmother who doesn't allow her family to do what they like to. As a real matriarch, she decides what the members of the family will do, but gradually Flora takes over power and makes her relatives see that there might be a better life...
The acting is OK, but the story is a bit too black and white in my opinion. Of course, you could see this as an extra point of comedy, but I think it would have been better if the differences and contrast between the rich people living in the city and the poor people on the countryside were a bit less pronounced. Anyway, that doesn't mean that the movie isn't any good or not watchable. I still give it a 6.5/10.
Even though the movie has been made in 1995, so only 10 years ago, it feels a lot older. That's not only because of the subject (the story is set in the 1930's), but also because of the humor and the way everything is told. It seemed to me like if this movie was made in the 1950's: nice to watch, but a bit too honest. The humor can be quite dark from time to time (which I really like), but somehow the entire movie isn't as sharp as I hoped it would be.
The movie tells the story of the 20 year old Flora Poste, recently orphaned and left with only 100 pounds a year, who wants to become a writer and who is in desperate need of money and inspiration. She sends letters to many relatives and ultimately decides to go and live with the Starkadder, some distant relatives who live on Cold Comfort Farm. It is said that the farm and everybody living there is doomed, in reality it is the old grandmother who doesn't allow her family to do what they like to. As a real matriarch, she decides what the members of the family will do, but gradually Flora takes over power and makes her relatives see that there might be a better life...
The acting is OK, but the story is a bit too black and white in my opinion. Of course, you could see this as an extra point of comedy, but I think it would have been better if the differences and contrast between the rich people living in the city and the poor people on the countryside were a bit less pronounced. Anyway, that doesn't mean that the movie isn't any good or not watchable. I still give it a 6.5/10.
Only if you love spoofs
vivesi-13 August 2003
I don't get all of the great comments about this movie, but then I'm not a fan of spoofs of any kind. I think I'm in a minority, however. I just find them so predictable with such a lack of inspiration. Cold Comfort Farm is no exception. Not only did I not find it funny, I nearly turned it off halfway through from sheer excruciating boredom. It was awful. Trite, hackneyed, awful.
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